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CVE-2026-31966

MEDIUM CVSS 4.0: 6.9 EPSS 0.02%
Updated Mar 19, 2026
Samtools
Parameter Value
CVSS 6.9 (MEDIUM)
Affected Versions 1.22 — 1.22.2
Fixed In 1.21.1
Type CWE-129 (Improper Validation of Array Index), CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)
Vendor Samtools
Public PoC No

HTSlib is a library for reading and writing bioinformatics file formats. CRAM is a compressed format which stores DNA sequence alignment data. As one method of removing redundant data, CRAM uses reference-based compression so that instead of storing the full sequence for each alignment record it stores a location in an external reference sequence along with a list of differences to the reference at that location as a sequence of "features". When decoding CRAM records, the reference data is stored in a char array, and parts matching the alignment record sequence are copied over as necessary.

Due to insufficient validation of the feature data series, it was possible to make the `cram_decode_seq()` function copy data from either before the start, or after the end of the stored reference either into the buffer used to store the output sequence for the cram record, or into the buffer used to build the SAM `MD` tag. This allowed arbitrary data to be leaked to the calling function. This bug may allow information about program state to be leaked.

It may also cause a program crash through an attempt to access invalid memory. Versions 1.23.1, 1.22.2 and 1.21.1 include fixes for this issue. There is no workaround for this issue.

Attack Parameters

Attack Vector
Network
Can be exploited remotely
Attack Complexity
Low
Easy to exploit
Attack Requirements
None
No additional conditions
Privileges Required
None
No privileges needed
User Interaction
None
No user interaction needed

Impact Assessment

Confidentiality
Low
Partial data leak
Integrity
None
No data modification
Availability
Low
Partial disruption

CVSS Vector v4.0

Vulnerable Products 3

Configuration From (including) Up to (excluding)
Htslib Htslib
cpe:2.3:a:htslib:htslib:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
1.21.1
Htslib Htslib
cpe:2.3:a:htslib:htslib:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
1.22 1.22.2
Htslib Htslib
cpe:2.3:a:htslib:htslib:1.23:*:*:*:*:*:*:*